Jewelled Bonds
by akai tamashi
Summary: When Midoriko died, she didn't leave the jewel without a guardian. But well, he never really was one to follow the rules. Because, when a fox is involved, things change. And not all for the better.
1. Falling

**I've always wanted to do a story mixing these two manga, but I could never find a way to mix them together like I wanted to. Then, I had this idea, and I think I will have managed pretty well. Please enjoy my story, because I think it'll be fun. **

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Inuyasha. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this FANFIC.**

Jewelled Bonds

Chapter 1

Falling

Kagome Higurashi grumbled wordlessly as she went around the God-tree and approached the old well house. Really, she should have expected that of her grandfather by now. She knew how unlikely it was for him the ever give her a birthday present that might appeal to a teenage girl, but giving her a mummified hand? Maybe it was time to look at those pamphlets again, there was that one retirement home that seemed promising…

She shook her head, refocusing as she opened the door, regretfully shoving her idle daydreams of a grandfather free life to a join many other in a dark corner of her mind. She would need some of her concentration for the task that was to follow.

"Buyo!" she called out as her brother pushed her forwards into the hut. "Here kitty! Buuyooo!" Hearing nothing, she turned back to Souta.

"Are you sure he's in there?" A rattling sound emerged from the well in response, causing the girl to sigh and slowly go down the stairs. The cat ran out between Kagome's legs, tripping her. She let out a frustrated huff as she got back off the well which she had fallen on. Turning back to her brother, Kagome started to scold him about letting the cat get into the well house in the first place. Neither of them noticed that the seals adorning the well's cover were damaged, and were slowly fading away.

* * *

Deep within the well itself, the voices of the two humans echoed, as an influx of energy slammed into a pile of jumbled skeletons. Ancient bones stirred as they recognized the presence of the shikon no tama, the jewel they had once owned and that could fully bring them back to life. They, barely slowed down by the magic of the well, started to reassemble, organs forming as skin appeared to cover them, finally forming the head of a beautiful lady.

"Yessss," she hissed sibilantly "ssoon the jewel will be mine. And I will finally be whole again." Feeling her strength returning bit by bit, the head was propelled by an ever lengthening column of bones, as it advanced upwards, shortly joined by a torso and six arms, crushing all the other reforming skeletons as she advanced. They were not worthy to be revived, let alone have her jewel.

The seals, which had held for several centuries, were faced with an untenable situation. Losing power due to damage was a common occurrence—they were self-repairing after all. But when faced with a construct possessing the sheer overwhelming power of the shikon no tama, while in an unstable state? The magic present in the damaged seals gave one final push, causing the rising torso to fall back to the bottom of the well, before finally giving out in front of the far superior power of the jewel, failing and letting the woman climb up again with no further resistance.

And over five hundred years after her death, Mistress Centipede was finally free to rejoin the world outside, reborn as the power of the shikon jewel revived her. She would let nothing stand in the way of her gaining back the shikon and her freedom. Absolutely nothing.

* * *

Souta stared blankly at a point behind Kagome as he pointedly ignored his sister's rant, a skill he had perfected over the years.

"And you never change his litter box," Maybe he should just go back to the house. Kagome probably wouldn't notice if he just slipped away, and she probably would be going on for hours. Besides, there was that new video game he desperately wanted to try.

"You should clean your room. Do you think I like sharing a house with a total slob like you? Do you? Hey are you even listening to me? Souta, listen to me!" Kagome continued, looking sharply at the boy in front of her.

He made a brief noise that could maybe be translated as interest as he stared at Kagome. She sure could talk. Souta idly wondered if it was worth it to just run away and hide from his sister for the next few hours before deciding that she would just hunt him down later.

Suddenly, Kagome's speech was interrupted by the creaking of wood, which she ignored, too caught up in reprimanding her brother. Souta, however, clearly saw what happened next.

A woman emerged from the well, splinters of the cover being flung around the hut before she grabbed Kagome with all six of her arms. The victim's mouth opened in shock as the monster whispered something in her ear. Panicked, Souta fell over and watched helplessly as his sister was grabbed by the woman, who retreated back into the hole with the teen.

The boy stared in shock for a few moments before he was able to process what he had just seen. Reluctant to stare into the well which had just claimed his sister, he finally started running back to the house in a panic, where, after a brief search, he managed to find his grandfather surrounded by a glass ball and a mummified hand.

"Grandpa, Kagome was just kidnapped and dragged into the well!" he let out in a single breath. "We've got to do something!" The old man looked pensive as he replied

"Ah yes, the bone eater's well. Its history begins with…" Souta ran out of the room, trying to find someone who hopefully wasn't senile.

* * *

As hands wrapped around Kagome's body, a soft voice whispered into her ear.

"It has come back to me. I will not lose it now. The shikon no tama…is mine." Before the girl could try to break free, she was yanked into the well, which suddenly seemed a lot larger than usual.

"Mine!" the creature snarled as she opened her mouth wide, revealing enormous fangs which had most definitely not been there before. Kagome noted detachedly that she probably wouldn't survive a bite from that jaw.

Under Kagome's disgusted gaze, the creature's lower body reformed over a skeleton that was much too long from the inside out, her pulsating organs on display before being covered by layers of fat and muscle. The raw flesh was finally masked by a layer of dark purple carapace, revealing itself to be a centipede's segmented body.

The young girl shrieked in terror as the demon lunged for her throat, missing by inches as Kagome jerked backwards at the last second. She refused to be killed by a random monster that had just popped out of a well!

Kagome grabbed two of the centipede lady's arms, forgetting for a moment about the four others. But that moment was enough for Mistress Centipede to grab the girl's head and immobilize it as she readied herself to devour the girl who, pulling on a strength she did not know she possessed, managed to release a bolt of energy, forcing the youkai to release her before it could lose its arm to the pink energy.

As Mistress Centipede was separated from her prey, she released one last yell before being swallowed by the vortex that was the well.

* * *

Now that she was alone, the fear and exhaustion caught up to Kagome as her adrenaline left her. Relieved that the centipede lady was gone, Kagome let herself drift into unconsciousness among the vortex of otherworldly energies…only to be awakened by being roughly deposited on her ass in the middle of a pile of bones. Stunned, she lay there staring up at a blue sky.

It was a testament to how rattled she was that it took her nearly a minute to realize that, being in a building, she should not be able to see the sky at all, and that, on top of having undergone the strangest experience of her life, she probably had no idea where she was.

Deep within the woods that the humans had named Inuyasha's forest, all was silent and still. No animals moved about, no birds sung among the ancient trees. Suddenly, against one of the most ancient trees in the forest, a pair of eyes snapped open as their owner felt a power that it had not felt in half a century. Someone had entered the forest, and he could feel its limitless power. His mouth slowly formed into a vicious grin. After fifty years of absence, the shikon no tama was back.

**Done! This story has been in the back of my mind for a while now, so I just decided to go ahead and write it. I haven't planned very far ahead yet, so I guess I should get to that. I don't have any pairings yet, and hopefully the next chapter will be coming out soon. Also, I'm just setting the stage, the crossover elements will appear, hopefully next chapter. Review, and please tell me if you see any plot holes or obvious mistakes. I would really appreciate that.**


	2. Contact

**After 24 hours, I have has 107 hits, 98 visitors, 4 alerts and 3 favorites. It makes me happy to know that my story has been well received. No reviews yet, but I can hope… **

**Disclaimer: Nothing to say today.**

Jewelled Bonds

Chapter 2

Contact

A fire crackled merrily in the center of the room, with a pot of stew boiling over it. Kaede however, ignored those as she frowned down at the unconscious girl who had been captured several hours ago and was currently tied up on the floor of her hut.

_How strange, _she mused _it's almost as if Kikyo was here in front of me._ Shaking her head to dispel such foolish and wishful thoughts, she finished going over the teenager's body with slightly pink hands. Her examination had revealed that the girl was probably not a demon as she had not been purified and turned to ash by her miko powers.

Kaede cut out the flow of energy before sitting down with an exhausted sigh. Every year it grew harder to draw upon her powers, and she had not found any apprentices to continue the line of priestesses. She was afraid of what the future would bring, once she was gone, with no more maidens to defend the village against supernatural threats.

Turning back to the matter at hand, she concluded that, unless the girl was a powerful demon, unlikely due to the fact that simple villagers had knocked her out, all she could do was wait for her sister's lookalike to awaken, and interrogate her on her reasons for wandering throughout Inuyasha's forest. Luckily the prisoner hadn't found the tree to which the half demon had been sealed, or she might somehow have released him, bringing destruction upon the village.

And so Kaede waiting in silence and solitude, for Kagome to come to, steeling herself for the inevitable confrontation for the girl who so closely resembled her beloved sister and brought up some painful memories of her death. She could only hope that the appearance of Kikyo's lookalike would not invite disaster on her village.

* * *

Mistress Centipede cursed silently as she uprooted another tree. She had finally gotten out of that accursed well, only to discover, to her horror, that after being a pile of bone the last five centuries, her motor control skills were shot to hell, and her muscles had not yet adapted to existence. The jewel had not been within her presence long enough to fully heal her, and it showed.

And worse, she could sense several demonic auras in the area, and while she could easily have taken care of their owners if she had her full strength, she was severely weakened and they were currently a threat to her, one that she could not afford to ignore. And with the miko powers of that impudent girl—for what else could they be—the youkai was feeling severely outmatched.

But, she firmed her resolve. She had not ruled these lands in the past only to run away at the slightest sign of danger. She was Mistress Centipede, and she would reclaim her jewel, and show all who opposed her just why she was one of the most feared demons in the land. Now if only she could get out from under that tree.

Accompanied by the groaning of wood, Mistress Centipede set her eyes on where she knew a human village lay. She would not, could not fail. She was a princess after all.

* * *

Kagome came back to wakefulness feeling like she had been hit over the head with a brick. Or possibly a whole sack of ones. Instinctively trying to sit up, she started to panic when she found herself unable to move about. She froze when a voice sounded out behind her.

"Who are you? And what were you doing wandering alone in Inuyasha's forest?" The girl remained silent as she tried to divine where she was, who was talking, and why she was tied up of all things. She tried to discreetly reach her phone by stretching her fingers out, only to give up once she realized that the ropes that were keeping her still were just too tightly wrapped around her body.

Finally, she looked up and saw a lady settle down in front of her. She definitely had a color preference—all her clothes were pink, and even her skin was tinged the same color. Then Kagome looked closer and saw that it was actually a pink barrier between her and the older woman.

If the teenager had seen a similar barrier earlier in the week, she would have almost certainly been questioning its presence, but after seeing a six-armed, hundred-legged woman and a well defying laws of physics, the energy based wall seemed almost ordinary. So, ignoring it for the moment, she stared her captor straight in the eye.

"Why have you knocked me out then tied me up? You have no right to keep me here! And for that matter, where is here?" She asked, faking a confidence that she hoped would unsettle whoever was facing here. The old woman just stared at Kagome unblinkingly, unsettling the teenager instead.

"You are currently in the center of my village, surrounded by people who will not hesitate to act should you try to escape from here. Additionally, next to this village lies Inuyasha's forest, a favored haunt for youkai, and especially dangerous once the night has fallen. You should count yourself lucky that we did not just leave you there for the demons. They have been getting restless lately…" As the woman faded into silence, Kagome found the courage for a question.

"Is this…village of yours anywhere near Tokyo?"

"I do not know of this place you call Tokyo. We are in the only village for miles around." The old lady continued, wearing a puzzled look. After hearing her last hope at getting home being crushed, Kagome decided that the lady might have the answers to her questions.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi, and I arrived in your forest after falling through the Bone Eater's well. Well actually, it wasn't as much falling in as being pulled in by a crazy centipede lady muttering about jewels and reclaiming what was hers." At those words, the woman froze, looking both horrified and elated.

"That jewel she mentioned. Would it happen to be the shikon no tama by any chance?" Kagome nodded.

"But then…" Seeming to come to a silent decision and nodding firmly, the lady stood up before the energy barrier fell. Advancing toward the immobilized girl, she drew a long knife, chuckling when Kagome tried to draw back in fear. Quickly, she slashed at the bindings before retreating and raising the barrier again.

"I am named Kaede, and if you really are who I think you are, then a shield of so little power should be no match for you. Try to come to me."

Kagome hesitated before deciding to obey the strange woman with the knife. Reaching the pink wall, the girl hesitated before pressing firmly against it and closing her eyes. For some reason, she doubted she could break the obstruction physically, so she decided that trying to draw on the same force that had defeated the monster might work. It was worth a shot anyways.

So, taking a deep breath, she reached inside of herself, only to feel nothing. Just as Kagome was about to give up, she felt _something_. It seemed to radiate warmth and love. Mentally seizing it, she pushed it outwards and opened her eyes to see the barrier shatter into millions of pieces while Kaede looked on in awe before she leapt forwards, embracing Kagome in a tight hug.

"Kikyo, Kikyo, I've finally found you again. Kikyo…" She mumbled contentedly against Kagome's elbow as the latter looked straight ahead confusedly. She was used to old people confusing her for others, but never had one of them been so bold as to actually go and hug her.

Minutes later, after they both had settled down, Kaede started to explain.

"My sister Kikyo was this village's priestess fifty years ago. However, she died after falling in love with the hanyou Inuyasha when he tried stealing the shikon no tama from her. I believe that you are her reincarnation. Not only do you look exactly like her, but your spiritual powers and the presence of the jewel confirm it. And to honor my sister's memory, I myself will train you in the art of being a priestess, and one day, you might even take my place as guardian of this village. It's what Kikyo would have wanted."

Just as Kagome was about to reply, a loud crash was heard outside, before terrified villagers burst into the hut. One of them, an old man of eighty years sporting an impressive beard shouted.

"It's Mistress Centipede! She's returned! And she's attacking our village! We're all doomed!"

* * *

It had been decades, he mused idly, since he had last felt the limitless power of the shikon no tama. Ever since the priestess had immolated herself, it had vanished completely. That it was back now meant that the annoying woman had gone and gotten herself reincarnated.

Oh well. He could wait. Moving prematurely would do him no good after all, and the jewel could never escape from him. Maybe this time his wish would be realized, he thought happily, as he considered the possibility of gaining his freedom. It would not end the same as it had fifty years before, he swore to himself.

He had all the time in the world anyways. He would re-establish some old contacts, find some of his old allies, and meet with this reincarnated Kikyo, if she survived Mistress Centipede's wrath. And then… He chuckled darkly to himself as, in the distance, a village burned.

It was a good night, all things considered.

* * *

The air was chokingly thick with an acrid smoke as the two women ran out of the priestess's house. Giant flames illuminated a wrecked town as they consumed the wooden buildings, their flickering light revealing a hundred foot long woman crushing houses with her enormous strength.

The villagers who attacked her with arrows and nets, hoping to contain her before slaying her, were ripped to shreds as the demon twirled rapidly on herself, her razor sharp legs easily cutting through flesh and bones. Pushed outwards by the rotation, blood sprayed like a crimson rain, painting everything in the area red.

Kagome stared in shock as warm red fluids landed on her face. When she started to hyperventilate, Kaede smacked her on the back to snap her out of it.

"Get a hold on yourself! As priestesses, it is our duty to destroy creatures such as this one. We cannot afford to let her continue the destruction of our village!" Hustling back to her hut, the older woman rushed to get her bow and arrows. She would stop that demon.

Meanwhile, the other girl couldn't take it anymore. So she ran as she had never run before, through the red mist towards the glowing lights and the soft whispers in the distance. She didn't know why, but she felt as if she had to get there at all cost. And hopefully it would also get her away from the rampaging youkai.

As Mistress Centipede sensed her prey escape, she turned back to the forest, spitting at the remaining villagers for good measure. Those with the misfortune to be hit by the saliva screamed as they were melted by the acidic liquid, while poisonous fumes filled the air. She crawled back to the rice paddies surrounding the town, and lunged for the fleeing girl's unprotected back.

She would have hit if Kagome hadn't tripped at that exact moment, letting her pursuer fly over her, and, while the centipede woman was carried along by her momentum, the girl made a sharp turn before sprinting for the cover of the trees, where Mistress Centipede would be unable to make use of her superior speed.

With trees crashing down behind her and branches whipping at her face, Kagome made a desperate dash forwards, unknowingly making her way toward the well, before stopping suddenly as Mistress Centipede appeared before her to cut her off.

Kagome turned back, only to be faced with a long section of her opponent's body, whose legs were clicking menacingly. The long body suddenly tightened around her, pinning her to a tree that, she belatedly noticed, had another person attached to it. The youkai lowered her head to Kagome's level, and whispered to her.

"You could never keep what's rightfully mine from me. The jewel is mine again!" Before striking and piercing the struggling captive's side. In a spray of arterial crimson emerged a pink orb, landing on the ground before being scooped up by an extremely long tongue and disappearing down the six-armed woman's throat.

"My power! I feel it returning!" She shouted as she seemed to convulse in pain. Then suddenly, her skin shriveled and fell off of her, leaving the raw, pulsating muscle exposed to the world. Just as the woman's shrieks reached a crescendo, the flesh was covered again, this time by a black layer of chitin, as her eyes became larger and a stunning red. During this transformation, the intensity of her grip had increased, and Kagome accidentally reached out and grabbed the arrow protruding from above her.

As she pulled it out, a wave of pink energy slammed into the centipede, pushing her back, and a figure sped past her with a cry of "Iron reaver, soul stealer", trailing lines of yellow energy as the centipede, distracted by her newfound power, found herself in separate pieces.

Kaede, who had just appeared on the scene, yelled at Kagome to find the jewel before it was absorbed into the youkai. Finding a glowing piece of flesh, the younger woman reached out and plucked a shining pink sphere with a sickening squelch, before ducking as sharp claws lanced above her head.

"Give me the jewel!" yelled the dog eared teen who had just attacked her. As Kaede and Kagome turned to confront him, no one notice as the shikon jewel glowed slightly before chunks of flesh reconnected and the centipede lady scuttled away silently in defeat.

Before the hanyou could launch another attack, a glowing necklace suddenly appeared around his neck as Kaede yelled out.

"Say the words of subjugation, Kagome! It's our only hope!" At those words, Inuyasha redoubled his efforts to kill the holder of the shikon before she could say a single word.

"Sit!" Inuyasha slammed into the ground at Kagome's scream. Once the dust had settled, Kaede commented.

"It might be wise to keep him with us. Not only can he help defend the jewel, you can easily control him with his beads. He's helpless before you, and it's always wiser to have too much protection rather than not enough." With those words, the ancient priestess led a younger miko and a sulking half-demon back to the ruined village.

A pair of eyes peered out through the leaves, watching them leave. Their owner smirked as the hanyou was slammed into the ground again. It was unlikely that anything would develop between _this_ Kikyo and Inuyasha, leaving him free to accomplish his goals. He faded into the shadows as his eyes closed, leaving a deserted forest.

**And that's a wrap! Next time: the jewel shatters and I'll probably get up to the group's departure. Meeting the mysterious man maybe? Hopefully it will be over 3000 words.**


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